More Night Ride 1986

[poltallach]

Bloody brilliant!



[thefungarian]

I remember this show.

I'm sure it also influenced me to go on late night drives when I first got my license (the next year)

Thank you Night Ride.

[FarrahnsMom]

I think we all feel the same. I miss Toronto the way it was.

[jellonasuolaa]

A person enjoying these reporting in... from FINLAND!

This was and is a brilliant idea, Finnish channels just showed blank nothingness after midnight or so.

[browland1]

If you pause at 0:56, you will see the movie theatre marquee with the movies Tough Enough and Blood Simple being shown. If I'm not mistaken, both films were released in 1983 and, assuming this was a first-run cinema, it accurately dates this footage n 1983.

[Retrontario]

@browland1 It wasn't a first run cinema

[pontifixmax]

@Retrontario I remember that theatre well in the 1980's. It was called the Rio. It was definately not first run. One could pay five dollars to see four films, at least one of which was always a porno. The place was open from 11 or noon unitl 5 AM. Needless to say it attracted alot of degenerates.

[elchubbo]

@browland1 Yeah that was THE RIO which was famous for recycling faves for years to pleased grindhouse fans in the city...

[TTOMO]

Also, if Toronto had any sense, they'd put the Sam's sign back up, but this time in Dundas Square, so that the area could look a little bit better than some cheap Times Square rip-off.

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@TTOMO Nowadays, every big city wants to mimic New York. It's not very original or very creative to say the least. I find the layout of downtown Mississauga to be more interesting, original, and not heavily inspired by some other city's creation.

[TTOMO]

Oh, to have been an adult back then with the digital photography technology we have today (Because I love night photography, especially of city stuff, but with film, not very many pictures can be taken.). I've never been to Toronto, I'd love to go there, but it's clear to see how much soul Yonge looked to have back then compared to the way I see it on Google Maps street view now. Man, I hate gentrification.

[bluenotejazz]

Bi-Way, good Lord, my mother must have spent a million years in that store, buying on the cheap.

[SwozyGustafsson]

Guido Basso! Of course!

I was desperately trying to remember the name of the flugelhorn player. Seriously.

[guardiane]

This really brings me back...it's funny, I'd always think about this show but I'd never think about it when surfing the web. So I figured I'd search for this show for the heck of it and it was really easy to find. I'm glad to know that I didn't make this show up in my head. So many fond memories back in the day...this show was part of them...

[TrandomnesstwO]

I wasnt to be until 8 years later. Then again in 30 years I'll look back at today and say "Ohh I remember 2010..good times.."

[EricSSmith]

This clip starts with a cruise westward on Gould Street, and then turns north on Yonge. At 0:08, the Funland Arcade, proudly advertising "pin ball games." At 0:20, a CIBC branch that Sam's would later expand in to. At 1:13, on the corner of Yonge and Gerrard, La Maison du Croissant (they had a Yogen-Früz machine).

[EricSSmith]

At 1:18, an eastbound Grey Coach bus in the old grey and silver colours, on its way out of town from the bus station at Bay and Edward; the shot then lingers on the marquee of the Coronet theatre, dating this footage to 1983 at the latest. The ride continues up Yonge, and turns right on Carlton (a left would have taken us on to College). At 2:31, a westbound PCC, probably working the 506 Carlton line (unless it's after 3:00 AM, in which case it would be the 306).

[EricSSmith]

At 2:50, Maple Leaf Gardens comes into view. At 3:06, a CIBC branch that's still there. At 3:15, a right turn down Church Street. At 4:00, a right turn on to Gerrard. At 4:30, we see the neon of the Maison du Croissant on the left, and the marquee of the Coronet on the right. At 4:55, another eastbound Grey Coach. At 5:10, as we turn south on to Yonge again, the clearest view of the illuminated TD Bank sign on a branch that's long closed.

[EricSSmith]

At 5:35, Pizza Pizza's famous phone number at the corner of Elm. Looming in the distance, the lights of the Eaton Centre's office tower. At 5:59, a flea market and a Harvey's at the northeast corner of Yonge and Dundas. The east side of Yonge at this intersection is completely different, now, taken over by 10 Dundas East and the Yonge-Dundas Square. At 7:26, farther down Yonge, the Elgin, showing "Cats." 7:50 brings us to cross traffic on Queen East.

[trinitymike]

@EricSSmith at 1:28 you can see the words "Coronet Jewelry", meaning it was post-'83.

[21soho]

i'm 32 now but even as a kid i could sense the energy of Toronto as it was back then...too bad that the big wigs in charge couldn't save it from what it has become today...

[thunderstick604]

At a time when T.O. had its identity, still.

These films are now invaluable pieces of history of a once great metropolis.

Yonge street really was 'fun street'. Back then, anyway. :sigh:

Again, many thanks to retrontario.

[Xeper1979]

for me its still alot nicer then Dundas st in London

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@thunderstick604 What negative things have really happened? Ever since the 1970s, Toronto has only grown, and every year a few new skyscrapers are topped out. What do you mean when you say that things have actually gone downhill?

[manhattan85]

@thunderstick604 Not sure it doesn't now have an identity, or it's no longer a "great metropolis." But this sort of local media is gone forever, that's for sure.

[Xeper1979]

Sadly you may be right but who knows it may come back

[PieFights]

on your left at 2:56 you see the legendary Maple Leaf Gardens where Battle of the Blades was taped!!!

[Love4SK]

back in the day when the big slice had actual Italians making the pizza

[browland1]

This is an amazing time capsule of Toronto as it was in the 80's! The only business that is the same today as it was in this video is The Big Slice (seen at 1:10). All the others have closed or, in the case of the Zanzibar (a still-running strip club), totally changed facades.

[ccchamoxa]

Thanks for uploading this. I can't remember the number of nights I had this for company while I hammered away late into the night on my Smith Corona typewriter, rushing to finish my projects.

[bigfatlen]

Geez I used to come home hammered from the bar and watch this all night. Too cool

[memmast69]

It was great to see this show again. It used to be a regular routine to help me relax and fall asleep. Part of me wishes to have Toronto back as it was....

[Barndancer61]

OMFG!!... all the now defunct stores captured here in a marvelous time capsule. Lindy's Restaurant, Eatons, Bi-Way, Rockwell Jeans, Granada TV Rental, The Elgin Theatre (during it's long run of CATS), Charlies, and just a glimps of the facade of Le Calvaliers (now the Barn Nightclub) on Church St..

[Neville6000]

Channel 7 in Buffalo would do their own version of this, but with Buffalo street scenes, and a lot faster.

[Canadiantalentshines]

A fantastic glimpse of Toronto during the 80's. A time when indie businesses were healthy.

[jenzeppelin]

Thanks for posting. I enjoyed this very much and watched it when it used to air late at night - it was a friend for insomniacs.

[karmaguy88]

Thank you so much for uploading this!

I was just wondering if you had any of the other programs like night walk or night moves if you do could you please upload them as well? Thanks again for uploading this!